Band clamps come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are used to secure or restrain one or more objects, also of varying size depending upon the application. In some applications, the bands are relatively small, for example when clamping hoses and fittings in automotive or aerospace applications or bundling wiring cables in electrical applications. Small bands may have a width in the range of 0.125 to 0.50 inches and a thickness in the range of approximately 0.010 to 0.030 inches. In the case of such relatively small bands, a buckle is typically preassembled on the band. The band is typically bent or deformed in some way to secure the buckle. Although the buckle may be removed, the band must be inelastically deformed to do so. These products are referred to as ties and examples of these products are sold under the trademark Tie-lok®. Buckles can also be formed as an integral part of a one-piece band. Exemplary products are sold under the names Tie-Dex and Band-Lok. The buckle is typically not deformed when securing the band about one or more objects.
In comparison, some applications require larger bands. For example, some larger bands range from 0.75 to 1.25 inches in width, and have a thickness in the range of approximately 0.030 inches. These larger bands use a seal, rather than a buckle, to secure the band about one or more objects. Unlike ties, both the band and seal are deformed to secure the band about one or more objects.
Small and large band clamps are also installed in a variety of environments. In some environments, such as indoors, it is relatively easy and comfortable for the installer to install a band clamp, such as around wiring or pipes. The objects to be banded are conveniently accessible and the environment is comfortable. However, outdoor installations can involve extreme environmental conditions. It may be cold, hot, daytime, nighttime, stormy or calm. In addition, the location may add further difficulty or complexity to the installation, such as ocean-based oil drilling platforms and pipe laying barges. The installations may occur above water or below water. The installer may be in a dive suit or suspended in a harness high above the platform or ocean. All of these factors, and others, can make installation difficult.
In connection with off shore oil drilling platforms, large bands and seals may be used to band or secure strakes, insulation, impact protectors, buoyancy elements, saddles and other large sized objects. With these and other similar large scale objects and as shown in FIG. 1, an installer typically utilizes a large coil of unformed banding material 10 and cuts custom lengths 12 of the banding material as is needed for each job. The installer will also have a supply of seals 14 used with the band to secure the band around the object or objects to be secured. The installer will further have a relatively large power tool that is used to cinch or tighten the band and to deform the seal and overlapping band to thereby clamp or band the secured objects. Because of environmental and/or location-specific difficulties or complexities, dropping a seal creates frustration for the installer, increases installation time and adds to increased costs. The cost associated with the banding operation is further increased if the seal is lost and creates environmental problems if the seal is lost in the ocean. Therefore, as represented in FIG. 2, in some instances, the installer will manually bend one end 18 of the cut band material back onto itself at a ninety degree or greater angle α and load the seal on the opposite end 16 of the band. In this manner, the seal is maintained on the band in a limited fashion. It will not fall off the bent end of the band, but is not completely captured since it may easily fall of the other end of the band, particularly as the orientation of the band changes during handling or installation. Indeed, when assembling the band and seals on location, seals are dropped, or are assembled onto the band in an upside down orientation, with the seam formed by the overlapping legs of the seal forcing outwardly, which results in a weaker clamp. In the latter context, the installer should remove and reorient the seal on the band. However, additional handling of the band and seal increases the likelihood that the seal will be dropped or dislodged from the band.
Cutting custom lengths of band on location also results in wasted materials, potential environmental problems, health risks from the sharp edges of cut banding material and increased labor time. Because installers do not want to redo a job, particularly in adverse conditions, they will typically cut a piece of band at an excessive length, longer than needed, and will not take time to avoid or reduce sharp edges 20 on the cut band. This can create health risks for the installer and others who have to work around and in the vicinity of the cut band. Once the band is secured in place, as shown in FIG. 3, the excess length 22 is cut off, leaving a length of band that has no use and must be discarded. The excess length may be greater than necessary to accomplish the banding task and, therefore, results in waste. The excess piece of material may also be dropped and need to be retrieved, or lost in the ocean. However, from the installer's perspective, this is preferable to cutting a length of band that is too short and having to cut a second length of band to complete the job, resulting in the discarded first band which was too short and the excess length cut from the second band.
Even if the seal is not assembled correctly and is not dropped from the band, actual installation also can be problematic. After the band is wrapped around the objects to be banded, the free end 16 of the band must be inserted into seal 14 above the preformed end 18 of the band. However, little space may exist between the seal and the preformed band portion 18 for inserting the free end 20, and the rough or unevenly cut leading edge 20 of the band may not easily fit in the available space or may actually prevent or seriously inhibit insertion. In addition, depending upon the installation site, there may also be difficulties in positioning the crimping tool relative to the seal and overlapping band portions, which can lead to an improperly crimped seal. More particularly, the crimping tool engages the seal and overlapping band portions along the side or lateral edges of the seal and band. However, it is preferable that the bent portion 18 of the band not be engaged by the crimping tool. Avoiding the bent portion 18 may be difficult given the close proximity of the bent portion 18 of the band to the seal during crimping. As can be imagined, these problems can be exacerbated in adverse environments and in awkward installation locations.
To address these issues and to reduce the time of installation, some large bands are now available in precut lengths with one end of the band preformed and a seal preassembled on the band as previously described and as is generally represented in FIG. 2. Unfortunately, the seals are not truly captured. During shipping and transport, numerous preformed and preassembled bands and seals are placed in the same container. As a result, many of the preassembled band and seal combinations become entangled or are further bent in unintended ways under the weight of the other bands and seals in the shipping container, causing the seals to become dislodged during transport or as the intertwined bands are removed from the container. Moreover, as the assembled bands and seals are removed from a container and are otherwise handled as part of shipping and installation, the bent end 18 may become unbent and the seal is susceptible to falling off either end of the band. Therefore, little advantage is achieved in preforming or pre-assembling the bands in this manner.